To those of us who live in temperate patches of the planet, winter always seems to be a time when we're especially glad not to reside where that word has serious meaning. In Northern California's coastal regions, winter brings wet and gray into our lives, but rarely anything so extreme as to affect our daily activities. For us, we need merely find a few more sweaters and some rain gear in-order to navigate our daily routines. For us, winter is occasionally discussed - but almost never is it the main topic of discussion.

Bright and EarlyMontréal is now part of my life. My life in California has become one that I view in portions; it's a nice slice to have, but hardly the whole of my existence. The upcoming journey to Québec has long ago stopped being my next trip - and evolved into a return. A trip is something you may never do again. A return signals permanence.

I always look forward to being there - but rarely to getting there. Three o'clock in the morning is not so much a time as it is a state. Each of my returns normally begins in that realm since in-order to arrive at anything close to a reasonable time, I must begin my day then. I mechanically maneuver through this state until I am at last en route. And then my thoughts turn to what we who face the Pacific know exists, but face so rarely; winter.

la Nuit Blanche

La Nuit BlancheMontréal embraces winter. And nothing illustrates this more than the combined winter festival of Montréal en Lumière and its signature event, la Nuit Blanche. It is a time when the people and city of Montréal celebrate the joy of winter living. And it's now one of my favorite times to return

This is a city that really knows how to throw a party - and these are people who really know how to enjoy one. On the night of nuit blanche, nearly the entire city becomes part of a grand winter display. The center of Montréal and many of her neighborhoods remain open all night - and hundreds of thousands partake in displays of art, food, music, poetry, literature - indeed, of everything that makes a city alive.

At a time when we on the left coast imagine the inhabitants of snowbound environs locked snugly away - the streets and venues are filled to overflowing. Celebrations are everywhere. Outside displays of street art, dancing, eating, listening to music, visiting ice sculpture gardens - there seems to be no end to it all.

And inside and under the city, in the tunnels and walkways linking buildings, and in the buildings themselves - everywhere - Montréal celebrates its place - its circumstance - its self.

And so I return - and join this wondrous spectacle. And even on lovely sun filled January days facing the Pacific, I often eye the goose down coat in my closet and a sense of excitement and anticipation fills me as I contemplate my next 3am state - and my winter return.

A delightful trend is emerging in the San Francisco restaurant world; vegetarian and vegan are going mainstream. That might come as a surprise to many who thought this trend started many years ago.

But even though California is synonymous with health and veggie eating to many, the reality is that vegetarian restaurants have been few and far between in the City until quite recently.

Little by little vegetarian selections started to gain menu space in many San Francisco eateries - but these were usually token dishes to placate the the odd non-meat eater in large groups, and was generally confined to a tasteless dish of pasta and overcooked vegetables. The City just didn't take meat-free cuisine seriously.

Those days are now - thankfully - behind us. It is now becoming quite commonplace to see a wide variety of vegetarian eating establishments not only in the City - but around the Bay Area.

Something good going on in there

Been there, Done that But even as this exciting new direction begins to take on steam, the gold-standard in fine vegetarian cuisine remains the venerable trail-blazer of San Francisco meat-free dining - Greens Restaurant. Greens is - simply put - the best vegetarian restaurant in the nation; both in terms of food and location.

Situated in an old warehouse in a semi-deserted, one time army base on the very edge of the bay, it just doesn't seem like the kind of place you'd fine anything to eat - let alone the flagship of modern organic dining.

Started in 1979, Greens is the creation of the San Francisco Zen center. They took over a rather dilapidated warehouse space and turned it into a large, airy, high ceilinged space with roof to floor windows facing the bay and filled with imaginative furniture displaying the wide-variety of wood available in northern California. A craftsperson would enjoy their visit without ever lifting a fork.

A view like few others

Bon AppétitBut the main achievement of Greens was to raise the world of vegetarian cuisine from the image of carrot sticks and sprouts and take it into the realm of sophisticated haut cuisine.

The selection of creative and beautifully presented dishes is simply remarkable. And nearly everything is supplied by small, local organic farms and brought daily to the restaurant. The freshness and full-flavored taste of the vegetables comes as an epiphany to many. Who knew this stuff could be so - well - sumptuously delicious?

This blog will feature several other establishments from the Bay Area's nascent vegetarian restaurant scene in the coming months - but let it be said at the outset that the original is still top of the heap. And be you a vegetarian or not - rest assured that a visit to this San Francisco legend will long be remembered for both its spectacular visual display and the savoriness of your meat-free fare. It's a dining must when visiting the City. Buen provecho!

Unlike southern California, San Francisco is not really known for its beaches. Yet, it is a city surrounded on three sides by the ocean - so it really shouldn't come as a surprise that San Francisco has several great sandy spots.

A few weeks ago this blog saw a story about Baker Beach, adjacent to the ocean side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Definitely one of America's great beaches. And just a little further along the coast is another great spot - and virtually unknown, even to many San Franciscans. It's called China Beach.

No Vacancy - for someIn the early gold-rush days of the City, Chinese immigrant workers chose this spot to set-up camps where they lived while working in the new San Francisco. This was necessary because Chinese immigrants were only welcome to work in the City's hotels and homes - but not to stay in them. So the Chinese workers set-up tent cities in the then uninhabited areas of San Francisco.

Believe it or not - you're in a big city

In a way - this discrimination was a blessing in-disguise. Yes, it was a long walk to work in the Nob Hill and Telegraph Hill areas of the City - but when they got back to their encampment, they certainly had one of the best views imaginable.

So wonderfully beautiful is this section of the City that it is now home to some of the nicest and most expensive homes in the United States. The area around China Beach is called Sea Cliff - and if you want to live there, houses start at around two-million dollars.

But visiting the beach is free - and special. This is the perfect place to come for a quiet, thoughtful walk on the beach. Or to build a cozy fire to snuggle next to as you watch the sun set. Or just to sit and stare out at the ocean and watch ships go by as they come in and out of the bay.

Solitude

And more often than not - you'll be completely alone. It's one of the best kept secrets in the City - so only those in the know make it out here.

If you're headed this way and looking for one of those hidden unwinding spots - this is definitely one the best. Don't miss it.

Joschka Fischer is one of those type of public figures whose personal narrative seems stranger than fiction. How does someone go from a violent, far-left militant, to eventually becoming the Foreign Minister of Germany? It's just not the normal path to success in the industrialized world. And - just not normal - is a perfect way to view both the man and his recent introduction, via film, to San Francisco.

The Berlin & Beyond Film Festival is currently running at what is perhaps America's most un-normal movie venue, the Castro Theater. Friday saw the screening of director Pepe Danquart's "Joschka & Mr. Fischer" and seldom have a film subject and screening location been more alike. Both completely unique, both impossible to forget.

The film follows the evolution of one Joseph Martin Fischer, an ethnic German originally from Hungary, who has always been known by the Hungarian nickname Joschka. Born in 1948, to follow his story is, in many respects, to follow the story of post-war Germany.

Starting out as the politically conservative son of a small town butcher, Joschka goes from being a Marxist leftist, to working class drop-out, to depressed taxi driver, before reinventing himself as a Green Party activist and step by step evolving into the person who becomes an icon of the modern German state.

And what's both fascinating and encouraging is watching how he remains true to himself throughout. His journey is not a study in being corrupted, but rather one of true, meaningful growth; the path to maturity and wisdom. Both for him, and for the society that spawned him.

Joschka

His arrival in the mainstream of modern politics and society says as much about the development of post-war Germany as it does about him. Both evolved toward each other and in doing so, both grew-up.

The Normalcy of UniqueSo it was somewhat ironic to see his story first presented to American audiences in The Castro Theater. After all, their stories are so similar in some ways.

Both emerged from the margins of social respectability and normalcy to become uniquely (and somewhat quirkily) central to a new social milieu. And in the process, a newness emerged from the melding that reflects a symbiosis, despite its unlikely genesis.

The uniqueness of tradition

To walk into the Castro Theater is to both step back in time and simultaneously arrive at the very cutting edge of social modernity.

The theater is like a living time capsule. From the art deco design of the building itself, to the opulently decorated interior and large viewing screen, the Castro just oozes tradition.

Yet so truly does it hold to tradition that it winds up being completely unique for it. Here is the only theater left (anywhere??) with a real organ that rises on an elevated platform from beneath the stage to treat the waiting audience to 20 minutes of live music before each film. If you want to know what a movie going experience was like in earliest days of film, come to the Castro.

And no ordinary films ever play in this most extraordinary venue. The Castro survives by showing vintage, cult, and contemporary avant-garde film festival material.

Mr. Fischer

Rebels with a CauseSo it all seemed so fitting, the match of Joschka with the Castro. Two rebels who had triumphed over their outcast status. And through their processes of evolution, both demonstrated how our modern societies and cultures have changed too. By absorbing these outcasts through their maturity and growth, society has demonstrated its own.

It seemed as though both were messengers that night; the theater and the man. Beacons signaling that the best of life is tied to the fullness of life. That there is no us or them; no normal nor abnormal. There is only us. And that perspective is everything. The broader it is - the more real it is. And what's real, works.

Legend has it that Mark Twain once said "The coldest winter I ever spent, was a summer in San Francisco." And whether he really said that or not, the sentiment is quite accurate. Ask anyone who has ever visited here in the summer - or almost any other time of year - and they'll confirm that The City is normally a rather chilly place.

San Francisco's summer arrives later than most (usually mid-September) and lasts only a month. And even at that, the fog still rolls in each evening - so you want to make sure you're never far from a sweater. Or a parka.

It's a spot that few tourists ever get to - which is a shame since it is really one of America's best, and most scenic beaches. Even when it's cold and foggy.

The Marin Headlands

Located on the ocean-side of the Golden Gate Bridge, it affords a magnificent view of both the bridge and the Marin headlands on the other side. The beach is about a mile long, starting in the Presidio and running all the way to The City's posh Sea Cliff neighborhood.

Behind the beach you'll find a nice picnic area with tables and barbeque pits, full restroom facilities, and ample parking. It's also on the municipal bus route for easy access. http://www.sfmta.com/cms/home/sfmta.php

And when the weather is really nice, the end closest to the bridge is a semi-official nude beach area - for those who despise "tan-lines. It's not really legal - but remember - this is San Francisco we're talking about.

It's a great spot to spend all, or part, of your day and definitely should be on any visitors itinerary of 'must see' places in The City.And remember - even though it's summer - don't forget your sweater. Enjoy!

Each summer and fall the parks of the Bay Area are home to outdoor performances of what may be the most unique, and is certainly the most politically progressive, theatrical group in the entire nation.

The San Francisco Mime Troupe is now in its 51st year of bringing politically left street theater to Bay Area audiences - and they wrap-up this season's round of free outdoor shows next week-end in Walnut Creek.http://www.sfmt.org/schedule/index.php

Each summer brings a new musical comedy production - and each production is a scintillatingly witty and penetrating look at social and political issues in today's world.

I first saw the Mime Troupe in 1975 at San Francisco's Dolores Park when they performed Hotel Universe - a show about a popular struggle in The City to maintain affordable housing for the elderly. And since then I've seen more of their performances than I can remember.

This year's production

The collective of actors and writers who produce the plays receive no corporate funding and pretty much rely on donations to keep going each year. Their performances are free, with the 'hat' passed around after each show. The productions employ a portable stage and set which they haul around the Bay Area each year in their signature truck sporting a big red star.

Over the years the Mime Troupe has satirized everything from the Reagan Revolution, the war in Iraq, the loss of manufacturing in the US, the rise of the religious right - to this year's production of 2012 - The Musical. And don't be thrown by the word Mime. They use the word in its traditional sense meaning to mimic.

Each performance is accompanied by live music with original songs written by Mime Troupe personnel. And the music is always one of the highlights of the show, with jazzy arrangements and spot-on satirical lyrics. It's like attending an outdoor musical cabaret written and produced by Che Guevara. And it's as San Francisco as anything gets.

Their last three performances this year are all this week - so if you're in town and want to see a truly special phenomena that could only exist here - you still have time.

When most people around the world think of California beaches, San Diego and Santa Barbara immediately come to mind. Or places like Venice Beach near LA, which regularly appears in films of every genre.

This is understandable since beaches tend to make people think of laying in the sun and frolicking in the water. That's what a beach is all about, right?

Well, as someone who knows the California coastline quite well, I'm always a tad surprised at how little people know about the many beaches of Northern California.

This is unfortunate since the 400 mile stretch of coastline from Santa Cruz all the way to Oregon is home to, in my humble view, an array of the most varied and beautiful beaches in all of California.

So as a service to beach lovers coming to California, today I begin a series of posts on the beaches of the San Francisco Bay Area. And while this is just a small sampling of all that Northern California has to offer, it is a very high quality sampling. Each of these beaches is either in San Francisco - or within 30 minutes of The City. And each is unique and well worth knowing about.

Evening at the beach

Muir BeachWe begin a little north of San Francisco, just across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. There are many great beaches in Marin (and I'll be covering most of them), but one of my favorites is Muir Beach. It's a small, intimate space, resting in a little inlet along the Marin headlands.

Completely surrounded by high hills, it is virtually hidden. In-fact, if you didn't know it was there, you could easily drive right past it without knowing.http://www.muirbeach.com/

This is a beach for social living; for being with friends and amongst people. It's compactness does not really lend itself to long contemplative strolls or solitude. This is more of a place to sit, enjoy, and share.

Muir Beach is one of those kind of places where you can build a campfire right on the sand, pull some drift-logs around it, and sit sipping wine while you barbeque with friends. And it is extremely popular with locals for just that reason.

And while you are certainly welcome to go in the water - this is really not a swimmer's beach. The weather is cool, the water cold, and fog is a frequent visitor.

But with a sweatshirt, stocking cap and shorts, you can spend many comfortable hours here. And if you get the itch to move around, there are hiking trails leading up into the surrounding hills, which have the added benefit of offering some truly magnificent views of the beach, nearby Mt. Tam, and the Marin Headlands.

The Marsh

Nature DisplayA lot of effort has gone into keeping Muir Beach natural. Redwood Stream runs into Muir Beach from nearby Mt. Tamalpais, and is the source of the beautiful marsh behind the beach.

Over the last several years The National Park Service has put a lot of effort into restoring this marsh to create a functional and self-sustaining eco-system. Their efforts have been rewarded with both a thriving marsh and the return of Coho Salmon spawning to the creek.

And one of my favorite activities at the beach is observing the many kinds of birds that frequent the area. Pelicans soar over the water searching for prey - and then diving into the ocean like missiles to make their catch.

Large spotted owls can be heard and seen during calm fall evenings. As you stroll along the sand, keep an eye on the waves and you will often catch sight of sea otters playfully surfing. And if you're lucky, you'll catch an early morning or late evening glimpse of a hunting bobcat.

At low tide you can access the large coastal rocks at the beach, where you'll see clams, starfish, mussels, and any number of aquatic creatures.

Pull-up a log & build a fire

Access and FacilitiesThe restrooms at Muir Beach are in the parking lot and were recently refurbished. There are also pic-nic tables and enclosed barbeque stoves provided in the parking area. Beach access is provided by a wooden walkway across the marsh.

Adjacent to the beach along Highway 1 is a lovely English style restaurant called The Pelican Inn. It's a great place to warm-up after a cool afternoon at the beach, and offers a full range of delicious libations and food. You can even rent a room there.http://pelicaninn.com/

To get to Muir Beach from San Francisco, take the Golden Gate Bridge north. Go past the exits for Sausalito, over a big hill, and follow the signs for Stinson Beach as you come down the other side. You'll then follow highway 1 over another big hill till you get to the coast - and the beach.

And as you sit there soaking in the atmosphere, congratulate yourself on being among the very few visitors to San Francisco to make it to this Bay Area gem. Enjoy!

I saw a very interesting 'bumper-sticker' yesterday: The Earth does not belong to us - we belong to the Earth. The thought stuck with me all day and got me to thinking about a recent trip I'd made into the upper reaches of Northern California to see the old-growth Redwood trees of Humboldt County.

A cousin of the Giant Sequoia found further inland, coastal Redwoods ascend to heights of 360 feet or more, and are 10-15 feet in diameter.To stand alone in a grove of trees such as these is very much like that first moment after entering the cathedral at Chartres or Salisbury - only grander. It is beyond breathtaking.

Lost in TimelessnessHere is a place where time is measured in centuries and millennia. Most of the mature trees that you see began growing when Marco Polo was exploring the orient, and the Aztecs and Maya ruled the Americas.

Before the western migration of European settlers, the forests of coastal Redwoods stretched unbroken from southern Oregon all the way to Big Sur. But from 1860 until the early 1970's, intense logging reduced the forests to a fraction - and now less than 4% of old-growth Redwoods remain.

Fortunately, those that do remain are now protected in three large National and state parks. For example, the Humboldt Redwoods State Park with its magnificent 30 mile long Avenue of the Giants - one of the most scenic drives in the entire country. http://www.aveofthegiants.com/weeblylink_new_window

Each of these remaining stands lie near the coastal city of Eureka. Its a rather moist part of the state with omnipresent rain and fog, getting 60-70 inches of rain in the winter with mild summers rarely exceeding 80°. The perfect climate for the largest and tallest plants on Earth.

A Natural Woman

First Love of a First LadyAnd north of Eureka is the Redwood National Park - home to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove and one of the most magnificent nature trails anywhere. Lady Bird was instrumental in the movement that led to the preservation of the remaining forests, and so it is fitting that one of its most stunning examples of old-growth Redwoods should bear her name.http://www.redwoodhikes.com/RNP/LBJ.htmlweeblylink_new_window

Most of the larger trees in the grove are around 700 years old. A one-mile nature trail winds its way through the grove in a gentle loop, and is the perfect introduction to the majesty of the Redwood forests. And while many thousands visit this grove each year, you will usually find yourself completely alone as you stroll among these giant sentinels.

No one leaves the grove as they entered. No one. Something in you changes through contact with these messengers of time and scale. It's as though you rediscover a place of peace and acceptance long lost deep inside yourself. No words can convey what your psyche absorbs while walking through that grove. And I remember that as I drove away, the message of that bumper-sticker permeated every fiber of my being with the certitude that we are merely guests in a home not of our making - and beyond our ability to ever fully know.

For many years you couldn't have paid me to stay in a Bed & Breakfast Inn. I'm just too much of a private person to deal with anything more social than checking-in when it comes to hotels. Or at-least, I used to be like that. But over the last few years my girlfriend has worked hard to smooth-out some of my rougher, anti-social edges.

One of the tools in her bag of tricks in this regard has been to sneak in a B&B here and there on our travels. I always whine a little when she first brings it up as an option - suggesting instead some big - anonymity maintaining - chain hotel where we can use points, save money, and never have to interact with other guests. But I don't always win that battle - and I'm becoming increasingly less resistant as time goes on.

Each bedroom is completely unique

So it was that as I planned to take her up into the real Northern California and introduce her to the giant old-growth Redwoods of Humboldt County, we discovered a true B&B gem. And, of course, this further weakened my rapidly eroding resistance to this world of more refined (and socially engaged) vacation accommodations.

Eureka California is the hub of the North Coast (as locals refer to it) and as such, the best location for treks to the area's several, stunning, old-growth Redwood forests. And after conducting the requisite internet search and making a few phone calls - we settled on a B&B called The Daly Inn as a two-day base for our explorations.

The Iris House

The Daly Inn is a fully restored, turn of the century colonial-style mansion that was once home to Cornelius Daly and family, owners of the city's leading department store at the time. It is, quite simply, a lovely, warm and welcoming place that just exudes charm, history, and comfort. Staying there is like being a guest in a private home - 100 years ago. Every detail is of the period - but never comes-off as being Kitschy; just truly elegant.

It has five bedrooms - each completely unique - as well as several common rooms where guests can mingle and lounge. And directly across the street is a companion property - also a Victorian mansion - called the Iris House which has an additional four, completely unique bedrooms.

Breakfast is served each morning at 8:30 by the owners and hosts, Bob and Donna, and is absolutely excellent. In-fact, I had one of the best soufflés of my life while there. The dinning room is as lovely as the rest of the house - and you will be treated to a very full breakfast. Scones, bacon, eggs, jams. jellies, delicious breads, fruits, juice - it's all there. And even for a semi anti-social type like me, I found the other guests to be friendly, interesting folks that I truly enjoyed sharing a meal with.

There's even a complimentary late afternoon wine tasting each day in the large living room. Guests are welcome to sample a selection of local wines over cheese and crackers while sharing stories of travel and local discoveries. The owners, Bob and Donna, are both very nice people, helpful with tips on local attractions, and they know how to be engaging without ever seeming intrusive.

I loved everything about our stay there and wouldn't even consider another place on a return visit. Yep - I think my wall of resistance to B&B's is near collapse.

Visitors to San Francisco are often struck by the City's European feel because of its cosmopolitan atmosphere of sophisticated refinement and sensibilities - the compactness of its immigrant neighborhoods - and the richness of the cultural landscape to be found there.

From the City's Italian quarter of North Beach, to its pedestrian friendly streets filled with boutiques, cafes and coffee houses - to its rich arts scene of theater, museums and architecture - San Francisco certainly exudes a sense of being in a city on the continent rather than in the USA.

So it should come as no surprise that TheCity is also home to a museum which is an exact duplicate (well - at 3/4 scale) of a museum found in the heart of Paris; The National Museum of the Legion of Honor - located right next door to the Musée d'Orsay. San Francisco's version is one of two fine arts museums in The City (the other being the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park) and is known as The Palace of the Legion of Honor.

A visiting Roman mosaic

The museum was conceived and built as a gift to the people of San Francisco by Alma de Bretteville Spreckles (of Hawaii sugar plantation fame) and completed in 1924. It is home to an eclectic art collection of items from the Mediterranean Basin - primarily Egypt, Near East, Rome, Greece, and the Agean Islands.

The collection ranges from the earliest pieces dating from the 4th millennium B.C.E. to works of the 20th century; a span of more than 6000 years. And while the collection is small compared to museums such as The Metropolitan in New York City - it forms the basis of an excellent introduction to the art of the cultures represented.

Within her walls are housed works by the Impressionists and post-Impressionists, Degas, Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, Seurat, Cézanne, and others. Among the 20th century artist you will find pieces by Braque and Picasso. The museum also houses important works by Rembrandt, David, El Greco, and many fascinating works by lesser known artists.

A particular strength of the museum is its collection of Greek vase painting with over 100 examples of work from the prehistoric period up to the end of the classical age. However, it is certainly not limited to this genre as evidenced by its displays of Japanese prints, Indian miniatures, and visiting exhibitions from around the world.

Yet you needn't even go inside to enjoy a visit to this museum. The building itself and its location are worth a visit. Built in a neo-classical style, the museum is located on an elevated site in Lincoln Park which gives spectacular views of the entrance to the Golden Gate, San Francisco bay and the Marin headlands, as well as of the City itself. And it is surrounded by large grass lawns which - unlike similar venues in Paris - are open to the public.

A truly spectacular setting

Also - in the entry courtyard you will find one of the few Rodin signed casts of his sculpture The Thinker. There are just 17 scattered about the planet.

In addition, the museum cafe is excellent with both indoor and courtyard seating, just across from the creative and reasonably priced gift shop.

This is a truly special place - quite unique amongst American museums - and a highlight of any trip to The City.

Author

I'm a writer living in the San Francisco Bay Area and Montréal, Québec - and this is my blog. Some of my writing is practical, some philosophical, but all of it generally accurate and occasionally amusing. You might stumble on a rant here and there - but otherwise it's a pretty relaxed, fairly interesting spot to spend a few minutes.Welcome.